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Maldives
Country Specific Information
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August 18, 2008
COUNTRY DESCRIPTION:
The Republic of the Maldives consists of 1,190 islands (fewer than 200 are inhabited) in the Indian Ocean, southwest of
Sri Lanka. The Maldives has a population of 379,174, of whom about 104,000 reside in Male, the capital city. Beautiful atolls,
inhabited by over 1,100 species of fish and other sea life, attract thousands of visitors each year. Tourism facilities are
well developed on the resort islands. The tsunami of December 26, 2004 damaged several hotels and facilities on some of the
islands, but all damaged tourism infrastructure has been rebuilt. Read the Department of State Background Notes on the Maldives for additional information.
ENTRY/EXIT REQUIREMENTS: A valid passport, along with an onward/return ticket and sufficient funds, is required for entry. A no-cost visitor visa valid for thirty days is issued upon arrival. The Department of Immigration and Emigration routinely approves requests for extension of stays up to ninety days for travelers who present evidence of sufficient funds and who stay in a resort or hotel or present a letter from a local sponsor. Anyone staying over sixty days without proper authorization faces heavy fines and deportation. All visitors departing the Republic of the Maldives (except diplomats and certain exempted travelers) must pay an airport departure tax, which is usually included in the price of an airline ticket. Travelers need a yellow fever immunization if they are arriving from an infected area.
Arrival by private boat: Travelers arriving by private yacht or boat are granted no-cost visas, usually valid until the expected date of departure. Vessels anchoring in atolls other than Male must have prior clearance through agents in Male. Maldivian customs, police and/or representatives of Maldivian immigration will meet all vessels, regardless of where they anchor. Vessels arriving with a dog on board will be permitted anchorage, but the dog will not be allowed off the vessel. Any firearms or ammunition on board will be held for bond until the vessel’s departure.
Specific inquiries should be addressed to the Maldives High Commission in Colombo, Sri Lanka at No. 24, Melbourne Avenue, Colombo 4, telephone (94) (11) 2580076/2586762/2500943, or the Maldives Mission to the U.N. in New York, telephone (212) 599-6194.
Information about dual nationality or the prevention of international child abduction can be found on our web site. For further information about customs regulations, please read our Customs Information.
SAFETY AND SECURITY: An explosion in Male's Sultan Park on September 29, 2007 wounded 12 tourists - two British, two Japanese and eight Chinese. There were no American injuries or fatalities in the incident. Maldivian police said the explosion, the first ever bomb blast in the Maldives, was caused by an improvised explosive device triggered by a mobile phone. The government quickly arrested several suspects, and is currently investigating links between the bombing and religious extremists.
Americans are cautioned against engaging in political activity in the Maldives. While demonstrations have become unruly on occasion, especially in Male, political violence in the Maldives is relatively rare.
For the latest security information, Americans traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs’ web site at http://travel.state.gov, where the current Travel Warnings and Travel Alerts, as well as the Worldwide Caution, can be found.
Up-to-date information on safety and security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S. and Canada,
or for callers outside the U.S. and Canada, a regular toll-line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00
a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
The Department of State urges American citizens to take responsibility for their own personal security while traveling overseas.
For general information about appropriate measures travelers can take to protect themselves in an overseas environment, see
the Department of State’s pamphlet A Safe Trip Abroad.
CRIME: The Maldives has a low crime rate, but theft of valuables left unattended on beaches or in hotels does occur. Drug use is on the rise and the penalty for drugs is severe.
INFORMATION FOR VICTIMS OF CRIME: The loss or theft abroad of a U.S. passport should be reported immediately to the local police and the U.S. Embassy in Colombo,
Sri Lanka. If you are the victim of a crime while overseas, in addition to reporting to local police, please contact the
U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka for assistance. The Embassy staff can, for example, assist you to find appropriate medical care,
contact family members or friends and explain how funds could be transferred. Although the investigation and prosecution
of the crime is solely the responsibility of local authorities, consular officers can help you to understand the local criminal
justice process and to find an attorney if needed.
There is no 911 equivalent for medical emergencies in the Maldives. 119 is for the police only. A patient would have to
call an individual hospital for ambulance services. Quality of medical care in such instances may be uncertain, as most ambulances
are ill equipped.
See our information on Victims of Crime.
MEDICAL FACILITIES AND HEALTH INFORMATION: The Maldives has limited medical facilities. There are two hospitals in Male: the government-owned Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGM) and the privately-owned Abduarahman Don Kaleyfan Hospital (ADK). ADK accepts some insurance plans, but IGM does not. The hospitals perform general, orthopedic and neurosurgery, but the Maldives has no trauma units, and spinal surgery is not available. Persons needing treatments not offered in the Maldives require evacuation to the nearest adequate medical facility, such as in Singapore.
Two recompression chambers are available in the Maldives. One is on Bandos Island (fifteen minutes by speedboat from Male)
and the other is in Kuramathi (one hour by speed boat and about twenty minutes by air taxi from Male.)
The U.S. Department of State is unaware of any HIV/AIDS entry restrictions for visitors to or foreign residents of the Maldives.
Information on vaccinations and other health precautions, such as safe food and water precautions and insect bite protection,
may be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s hotline for international travelers at 1-877-FYI-TRIP
(1-877-394-8747); fax 1-888-CDC-FAXX (1-888-232-3299), or via the CDC’s web site at http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/default.aspx. For information about outbreaks of infectious diseases abroad consult the World Health Organization’s (WHO) web site at
http://www.who.int/en. Further health information for travelers is available at http://www.who.int/ith.
MEDICAL INSURANCE: The Department of State strongly urges Americans to consult with their medical insurance company prior to traveling abroad to confirm whether their policy applies overseas and whether it will cover emergency expenses such as a medical evacuation. Please see our information on medical insurance overseas.
TRAFFIC SAFETY AND ROAD CONDITIONS: While in a foreign country, U.S. citizens may encounter road conditions that differ significantly from those in the United
States. The information below concerning the Maldives is provided for general reference only, and may not be totally accurate
in a particular location or circumstance.
Only a few of the islands are large enough to support automobiles. Most transportation in the Maldives is by boat or seaplane
(air taxi). The Maldives has good safety standards for land, sea, and air travel. Roads in Male and on the airport island
are brick and generally well maintained. Dirt roads on resort islands are well kept by the resorts. Transportation on the
small island on which the capital, Male, is situated, is either by foot or by readily-available taxis. Transportation between
the airport and Male, as well as to nearby resort islands, is by motorized water taxi and speedboat. Several local companies
provide seaplane and helicopter service to outlying islands. Air taxis stop flying one hour before sunset, and several resorts
do not transport passengers by boat between the airport and the resort island later than one hour before sunset. Visitors
to distant resorts arriving in the country at night can expect to stay overnight at a hotel in Male' or at the airport hotel
and should confirm transfer arrangements in advance.
Please refer to our Road Safety page for more information. Visit the web site of the Maldives’ national tourist office and national authority responsible
for road safety at http://www.visitmaldives.com.
AVIATION SAFETY OVERSIGHT: As there is no direct commercial air service to the United States by carriers registered in the Maldives, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has not assessed the Maldives' Civil Aviation Authority for compliance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) aviation safety standards. For more information, travelers may visit the FAA's web site at http://www.faa.gov/safety/programs_initiatives/oversight/iasa.
SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES: Religious Laws: Public observance of any religion other than Islam is prohibited. Religious gatherings such as Bible study
groups are prohibited; however, a family unit may practice its religion, including Bible readings, within its residence.
It is against the law to invite or encourage Maldivian citizens to attend these gatherings. Offenders may face jail sentences,
expulsion and/or fines. Although Maldivian law prohibits importing “idols for religious worship,” tourists traveling to the
resort islands are generally allowed to bring in items and texts used for personal religious observances.
Currency: Credit cards are increasingly accepted outside large hotels and resorts; cash payment in dollars is accepted at most retail
shops and restaurants and by taxi drivers.
Please see our Customs Information.
CRIMINAL PENALTIES: While in a foreign country, a U.S. citizen is subject to that country's laws and regulations, which sometimes differ significantly
from those in the United States and may not afford the protections available to the individual under U.S. law. Penalties
for breaking the law can be more severe than in the United States for similar offenses. Persons violating Maldivian laws,
even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested or imprisoned. Penalties for possession, use, or trafficking in illegal drugs
in the Maldives are severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines. Engaging in sexual conduct
with children or using or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country is a crime, prosecutable in the United States.
Please see our information on Criminal Penalties.
CHILDREN'S ISSUES: For information, see our Office of Children’s Issues web pages on intercountry adoption and international parental child abduction.
REGISTRATION/EMBASSY LOCATION: There is no U.S. Embassy or Consulate in the Maldives. The U.S. Embassy in Colombo, Sri Lanka provides consular support for the Maldives. Americans living or traveling in the Maldives are encouraged to register with the U.S. Embassy in Colombo, Sri Lanka, through the State Department’s travel registration web site and to obtain updated information on travel and security within the Maldives. Americans without Internet access may register directly with the U.S. Embassy in Colombo. By registering, American citizens make it easier for the Embassy or Consulate to contact them in case of emergency. As a trip from Colombo to the Maldives takes about 3 hours, consular support may be limited in an emergency.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo is located at 210 Galle Road, Colombo 3, Sri Lanka. The Embassy's telephone number during normal business hours Monday through Friday is (94) (11) 249-8500. The after-hours and emergency telephone number is (94) (11) 249-8888. The Consular Section fax number is (94) (11) 249-8590. The Embassy's home page is http://srilanka.usembassy.gov/. The email address for the consular section is colomboacs@state.gov or consularcolombo@state.gov.
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This replaces the Country Specific Information dated September 17, 2007 to update the sections on Country Description, Safety and Security, Information for Victims of Crime, and Medical Facilities and Health Information,
